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Man City confidence dented by defeat – Iheanacho

Kelechi Iheanacho has admitted Manchester City will head to Real Madrid with their confidence damaged by Sunday’s 4-2 Premier League defeat at Southampton.

Iheanacho struck twice as City’s sole positive in a bleak south coast thumping at the hands of Ronald Koeman’s Saints, for whom Sadio Mane scored a hat-trick.

The 19-year-old hopes to have earned a start for City’s Champions League semi-final second leg at Real on Wednesday night but admitted Manuel Pellegrini’s side saw their preparations dented in defeat at Saints.

“This was not good preparation, this game didn’t give us enough confidence but we’ll put it behind us as soon as we leave here and focus on the game on Wednesday,” said Iheanacho.

“We need to put it behind us, it’s gone, it’s not going to come back.

“So many things went wrong in the game, we lost so many balls and we didn’t defend well.

“We lost so we’re not happy, but we’ll put it behind us and come back stronger.”

Iheanacho took his Premier League goals tally to seven for his breakthrough campaign with his brace at Southampton, a return he hopes can convince Pellegrini to start him at the Bernabeu on Wednesday.

City battled for a goalless draw in last week’s first leg, denying Madrid an away goal, but Iheanacho accepts the visitors will face a tough task in midweek.

Pellegrini admitted making eight changes for Sunday’s Southampton defeat has jeopardised the Etihad outfit’s bid for a top-four Premier League finish, and Iheanacho admitted City have heaped pressure on themselves to qualify for next term’s Champions League.